Foley City Council voted to purchase and install UV lights for the HVAC at the Foley Event Center, the same system Trane Building Services uses within hospitals. The system is meant to provide a safer environment within the facility by helping to minimize viruses, molds, and bacteria. UV systems also keep mold from growing on coils, effectively saving on operation costs.
“We’ve been investigating a lot of technologies, and obviously we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but we feel part of what we’re going to have to do while responding to COVID-19 is ensure our facilities are safe,” said David Thompson, recreation director.
The system is commercial grade and kills approximately 99.9% of pathogens in the air, a great benefit to buildings that typically see large amounts of traffic.
“This is something that’s not just COVID-19 related, but something I think we would use on an ongoing basis,” Thompson said. “But certainly with COVID-19, there are going to be people who are scared to go places if it’s not an environment they feel safe in. This is one of those steps to help people feel more comfortable in their environment.”
The total cost of installing the UV lighting system in the Event Center is $33,748, which Thompson said one tournament will pay for. Read more on gulfcoastnewstoday.com.